‘We consider India to be a real treasury of human knowledge’

It is now time to openly share it with the rest of the world

What we know as the luxury market in Europe since the ’60s, is basically the fruit of the Silk Route trading that enriched European craftsmanship with techniques like precious stone carving, enameling in silver or gold, ‘filigrane’ work, intricate weaves of brocades, metals and silk thread as well as the fantastic thick, embossed embroidery from India and Persia.

I descend from a lineage of French embroiderers operating since 1860 and my first visit to India, in 1984, was an extraordinary eye-opener. Just like Europe during the Renaissance, I discovered in India artisans gifted in the art of ancestral techniques at almost every street corner, while elsewhere in the world they had largely disappeared.

I wanted to be part of this feast by merging together India’s brilliant expertise with the organised knowledge my French roots gave me. Along with Patrick Savouret, my French associate, as well as Malavika Shivakumar and Sandeep Rao— our Indian partners—we decided to create a centre of hand embroidery in Chennai that strived exclusively towards quality and excellence. Our collaborators in this undertaking were a community of artisan-embroiderers from Sriperumbudur, who descended from an embroidery tradition dating back to the late 18th century.

Three years after we created the project, we were able to supply to the discerning few who were extremely familiar with luxury but had no access to beautiful things like a stunning embroidered wall covering or curtains, embroidered four-poster beds or drapes.

The plan was simple: pride and transparency. The company had to be truly Indo- French—combining and celebrating the best of the two embroidery traditions. From the very beginning, it was called Lesage Intérieurs, Paris-Madras—stating strongly the fact that everything we do is made in Chennai.

We spent at least 12 hours a week explaining to them the magic of their hands, the importance of their knowledge and the fascination people abroad hold for their talents—all of which they had no clue about. We made a decision to reward them financially right from the beginning with the best we could offer, even though our competitors thought we were ‘spoiling’ them. Above the mandated PF & ESI benefits and basic health insurance, we added private group health insurance along with other advantages. The company is SA8000 certified. We make it a point to share with our craftsmen all the publications showcasing their work. When journalists visit, the artisans talk freely to them. We encourage easy communication between our French and Indian teams, and are fluid with transfer of knowledge. Our artisans have personally met and interacted with renowned Indians—politicians, business tycoons, actors and artists. They have also had an audience with wealthy collectors from all over the world, designers like Christian

Louboutin as well as famous European and American artists. ?We also make it a point to take work-in-progress photos and email them to our clients to ensure they are aware of the proud Made in India connection. This has been our best marketing policy—ancient Indian culture is deeply fascinating to people who have already seen most of what the world can offer.

After 20 years of ground work, the Chanel group (which owns Lesage Paris), finally announced, officially and transparently, its partnership with our Indian company Vastrakala, which would have been impossible a few years ago. We consider India to be a real treasury of human knowledge and it is now time to openly share it with the rest of the world. Indian patrons must give its artisans the place they deserve in modern Indian society.